NEW ORLEANS, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears played a good first half but the New Orleans Privateers played an even better second half in taking a 90-63 victory on Day 1 of the UNO Classic at Lakefront Arena.

UCA (1-4), which trailed by as much as 14 points early in the game, used a 14-2 scoring run to close the first half to cut its deficit to just 35-33 at halftime. But the home team came out on fire in the second half, shot 66.7 percent from the field and forced UCA into 13 of its 18 turnovers.

"We started off slow but then we got it going in the first half,' said UCA head coach Anthony Boone. "Our defense was really good, we were attacking, getting lots of scores inside, we were taking care of the ball, we were strong with the ball. In the second half, it was just the opposite. And I think once that started happening, the blood was in the water and New Orleans really ramped it up at that point.

UCA was down 33-19 with 5:44 remaining in the first half but then caught fire as junior transfer Darious Hall and graduate Jared Chatham had back-to-back dunks. Chatham, a graduate from Los Angeles, Calif., finished off the 14-2 run with the last basket of the half that brought the Bears within two at the break. Freshman Elias Cato of Queensland, Australia, came off the bench to score six points in the opening half.

"We injected a little new energy in there and it got going,' said Boone. "And for us, it was the same thing. The waters were chummed and we were champing at the bit to go. '

The second half went UNO's way quickly as the Bears went nearly three minutes before Eddy Kayouloud made UCA's first basket. UNO opened with a 10-2 run and never looked back.

The Bears had four players in double figures, led by sophomore guard Collin Cooper with 13 points, including three second-half three-pointers. UCA made just 3 of 17 (17.9 percent) from beyond the arc for the game. Chatham had 10 points and 7 rebounds, while Hall had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Cato finished the day with a career-high 10 points, hitting 3 of 4 from the field and 4 of 4 at the free-throw line.

"Our freshmen are good, and they are constantly improving, they're getting better,' said Boone. "And eventually, they're going to be problems for people we play, and I'm really looking forward to that. We've got to be patient with them, but Elias had a good day, and hopefully he'll continue to do that.'

UCA returns quickly for Day 2 of the three-day classic against Virginia Military Institute (VMI) at 3 p.m. Thursday, followed by Presbyterian at 3 p.m. Friday.